If that's ugly, then Portland City Hall needs some ugly.

Now that Eileen Brady is drinking the sustainability center Kool-Aid, it's looking like her term is going to be just like Sam the Scams only minus the pederasty.

From Ms. New Season's Facebook page:

Oregon Sustainability Center is gaining support from across the political spectrum. We have to find our shared values and build a large coalition to support the good projects of our city and state. Thanks for stepping up for the region, Clayton [commercial real estate broker who will make a few thousand $$$ filling the building].

This street car and land use process in Lake Oswego, and the greater Portland area as well, has been broken for too long. Projects are proposed by small cadres of people operating at the pleasure of elected officials. Many of them former elected officials themselves. Hand in hand, and with way too cozy a relationship with developer benefactors, local papers like the Shrinking O and LO Review print up pure propaganda that pushes bank-breaking ideas. Entire news stories read as if it were a press release, further enraging citizen taxpayers that expect much better from their local news source.

And bringing in these cult of personality city employees that do the bidding of the city elite. To see many of them operate makes one realize the public servant concept has long been abandoned.

Will what happened in Lake Oswego and around Clackamas county take hold to more responsive and accountable government? It better. Because no one will be happy if the present style of arrogant governance continues.

People now the name of their mayor, city council, and even commissioners. It's going to be lot harder using other people's money to advance your won personal agendas.

"City government is supposed to be fun because we're all working together with our neighbors to do what's best for the city," said Lake Oswego Councilor Donna Jordan. "But it hasn't been fun and the fact that many of us don’t see eye-to-eye on a few topics hasn’t helped us move forward.”

Translation: I know what's best for the city, and if you don't agree then I'm taking my ball and going home.

Baby.

There was a time when democracy was truly ugly in this country. Thugs beating you up to keep you from voting, brazenly partisan newspapers libeling and slandering with abandon, and votes being quite literally bought and sold. Some raised voices and shouting at public meetings and Internet trolling is a far, far cry from those bad old days.

Not that such incivility is praiseworthy or ultimately a wise strategy in the long run. But these are difficult times, voters are grouchy, and strong feelings are going to be aroused by controversial issues. Anyone who runs for office -- whether that office is paid or volunteer -- needs to know that and thicken up their skin accordingly.

Good grief can Donna Jordan be any more full of herself?

This is a lady who had declared that she can speak for not yet existing future residents and voters who she has decided will want the streetcar and her convoluted version of what's "best" and "moving forward".

Isn't that something when a politician claims to represent people who don't yet exist and who can't tell her she's full of crap?

Hey victim Donna. Here's a news flash.
You've been an arrogant and disrespectful
city councilor who's behavior has earned every bit of the shaming and shunning you're getting.

Your deceitful advocacy on the wrong side of history makes you the one who's been making civic involvement not so fun.

PS. Cry me A River then resign.

There are plenty of decent and respected folks to take your place.

Note to Donna Jordan: Running a City Council is not supposed to be "fun". You are not a kid with a box of Legos, or sitting in a sandbox, with the ultimate power to build what you want. You have real responsibilities. You have the power to take peoples' money and spend it. You are obligated to do so wisely. Sure, you COULD build a Streetcar, or a rec center, or a sports stadium...but then what happens when the firemen don't have working trucks and the cops won't work for free? What happens when the sewers back up and crap is streaming down A Avenue into the Willamette River? What happens when trees block the streets and cars can't get around; when the bills don't get paid and City Hall can't even open for business?

I think that the issue was in having an unrealistic view of the responsibilities of being a City Councilor. Sure, it's great to dream, but unless you have unlimited money you have to accept that all of your dreams cannot become reality; and further that you aren't the King of the world. You are an elected official; who is subject to recall or to be voted out of office. You are not a ruler. You are not God. You are a mere representative of the people to conduct the dirty, day to day business of the City. It's not fun. It's hard work.

And now you're complaining because it wasn't what you thought it would be. Don't blame the voters. Don't blame the public. It's no different than accepting a job that you find out that you didn't like for any reason - horrible boss, bad working conditions, long hours, low pay, whatever. Blaming the public shows only how much you never deserved to have the job in the first place...your utter contempt for those that gave you the job in the first place. May you never, ever have a government job ever again. At least if you run your own business, those of us smart enough to know your past will know never to set foot in your business given your contempt for us...surely you don't need our money.

"City government is supposed to be fun because we're all working together with our neighbors to do what's best for the city," said Lake Oswego Councilor Donna Jordan.

I'm not sure I can remember anyone ever saying that city government is "supposed to be fun," unless I'm watching "Parks & Recreation" and Lesley Knope is speaking.

You had me at "developer pimps".

Bingo, bingo, bingo, Jack! The Whoregonian makes itself less and less relevant every time they lay down like that.

Note to elected officials; if governing has become too difficult for you it may be because you are constantly at odds with the people you represent. You may have created this dilemma, not the people who elected you. The reason we keep the right to vote on individual issues after you take office is to protect us against bad governing, sort of a people’s insurance. We would rather leave the governing to you, but not at any cost.

Isn't that something when a politician claims to represent people who don't yet exist...

Good statement Ben.
Hasn't that been the mantra of almost the entire cabal here in Metro/Portland, that we had to go along with the plans to consider the millions that are coming?
These political figures are representing the people who aren't "here" yet rather than those of us who are living here.
....except for a few who have benefited greatly by the "plans."

Re. the Sustainability Tower -- I'd be much more impressed if it were created from an older building that already exists and retrofitted to demonstrate to ordinary business owners and people how it could be done on a smaller scale.

An expensive state of the art sustainability monolith that nobody else can afford to emulate, with rental space so expensive that only government agencies can locate there is the exact opposite of sustainability.

The overthrow of the Lake O streetcar project gives me faint hope that the Sustainability Monolith might be pushed back, revised or toppled. It's insanity in its present form, at this time.

Everyone on this blog "gets" it -love reading your comments. Wonderful analysis Jack.

The first two sentences of Eric's post intrigued me as I see parallels to what is happening today. In fact, I wonder if some of the city staff aren't leaving ahead of a certain court case re-scheduled forMarch that has the potential to show off the city as a police state. Buying votes is ordinary these days, but thuggery, actual and regulatory, is alive and well in LO.

Is it possible, though, that ordinary folks are starting to be heard by those in power? The streetcar vote is one example. The SOPA-PIPA development is perhaps another. What's next? One note of caution: populism is good at stopping things, not so much at making things happen. Inaction won;t always be the best option.

Yes, but when you are in a hole, the first thing you do is stop.....

In a frighteningly flat world, do we look to ourselves or to government to take care of our needs? And in what proportions? Who gets to decide? Most of what I see coming from the government-has-the-answer-and-needs-to-tell-us-how-to-live crowd is fear. This is a primal motivator that will be difficult to overcome for anyone who wants to retain a shred of independence of thought or action.

Allan L.
I think we have had enough action here to last for decades.
For now, stopping the spending and debt,
stopping officials from making decisions against public interest,
just plain STOP for awhile.
A moratorium until things get scrutinized, sorted, settled
and basics taken care of might be the option needed.
I would much rather be cautious at this point and prudent
than continue on the road we have been on.

Re. the Sustainability Tower -- I'd be much more impressed if it were created from an older building that already exists and retrofitted to demonstrate to ordinary business owners and people how it could be done on a smaller scale.

Yeah, sorta like Metro did when they remodeled the old Sears store over on Grand Ave. into their "green" planning HQ? Complete demolition and new construction on the site would have cost less than half of their "green and sustainable" approach.

Mojo, I've Boregonian, Snoregonian and the Zero for decades but Whoregonian is just too good.

Most papers have become receptacles for PR announcements from govt and corporate flaks.

Excellent post, Jack. Back in June 2011, Donna Jordan wrote this load of crap for the Review and the Oregonian:

http://www.lakeoswegoreview.com/opinion/story_2nd.php?story_id=130894188065287600#comment_section_container

This is a perfect time to revisit my response to that piece. Enjoy:

Lake Oswego City Councilor Donna Jordan Jumps the Shark

Oh, pooooor Donna Jordan. I understand completely how you must feel, Donna. Remember the days of yore when there were no sensible, rational, intellectually honest voices of reason and fiscal responsibility or independent thinkers on the City Council? How you must long for those bygone years when there were no Council members asking annoying, probing questions, or offering any alternative suggestions or opposing opinions, or demonstrating sound fiscal judgment! Those were such pleasant, stress-free days!

Those silly (I believe is the word you like to bellow, Donna), contrary opinions and voices just muck up the works and now delay your rubber stamping of whatever fiscally irresponsible idea, project, or real estate purchase proposed by the Mayor or your fellow stampers. Now you’re forced to actually read your packets and justify your votes and that’s sooooo unfair because, after all, Council actions taken by you should not be questioned by these icky new people who were elected by those pesky, malcontented citizens! That’s not “representative government”! Why don’t they just buzz off and let you do what’s best for, you know, you?!

And it must be so much more difficult for the Mayor because he now has to spend more time colluding with you three remaining sycophants as well as writing the motions for, um, shall we say, one of the more “limited” Councilors, to present. Can’t these annoying new Councilors understand that meetings moved along much faster when former City Councils were in sync and all voted unanimously regardless of what the majority of Lake Oswegans wanted, or even how it negatively affected a minority of citizens?

How dare these malcontents elect new Council members that question and counter the self-serving, half-baked ideas of those who have been running this town for over ten years. I mean, City management decisions have been extraordinarily responsible and competent, and financially you’ve done a jam-up job, right? Everything was going along just swimmingly until these three interlopers came along. They clearly just represent all the unimportant people in town who you used to regularly dismiss with impunity! Now there’s all this, you know, tension and disharmony on the Council! Waaaaahh, waaaahh, waaaaahh!!

Unbelievable. Donna Jordan, you have colossal gall. To set the record straight, you, Jack, Bill and Sally are just as much to blame for any “disharmony” on the Council. In fact, even more so, because of your patronizing, arrogant, dismissive attitude. If any person has raised the decibel level at City Council meetings, it’s you, Donna. Next to Jack Hoffman, you are the most obnoxious and rudest person on the Council and by far the loudest and most strident. Mary Olson has simply had to step up her game in order to defend herself and her positions from constant sarcastic remarks and snarky attacks from you and Jack Hoffman, which she has every right to do. Furthermore, who appointed you the arbiter of Council behavior?

As for your dishonest and condescending opinion piece, lady, you are truly a piece of work. First off, you seem to think that just because “for 15 years, surveyed citizens of Lake Oswego have voiced their support for a streetcar between our city and Portland” that they are somehow obligated, in the economic mess “our city” now finds itself and with the full knowledge of what your little pet project is likely to cost, to just blithely go along with the program. I’d suggest you take a Logic 101 class at the local community college.

Next, you falsely assert that “Councilor Mary Olson has chosen to only represent a contingent of people, privately funded and professionally organized, who do not want a streetcar.” Every Lake Oswego citizen should be seriously concerned about this statement because you are either both grossly and negligently ill-informed about local citizen opposition to the streetcar, or you are just a blatant and deliberate liar. It is my opinion that you intentionally published, with malice aforethought, a statement about a fellow Council member that you knew to be a falsehood and you should be immediately removed from office. At the very least, you should be censured by the entire Council.

As for your assertion about a “privately funded and professionally organized” contingent of people, what’s your point, Donna? Are you seriously suggesting that people in this country don’t have a right to organize a public policy organization and to seek private funding, or that there is something nefarious going on if a group of people choose to do so? Yet another reason you are unfit to hold public office and should be removed from the Council forthwith.

There may be such a group in Dunthorpe. So what? They have every right to organize to any extent they want and to fund their opposition however they wish. The streetcar proponents are well funded and professionally organized, with powerful political support, but the opponents aren’t allowed to be? The professionally organized proponents in Portland, Lake Oswego, Clackamas and Multnomah Counties, and at Metro have been working together for years on this self-serving, financially risky project, but opponents in neighboring Dunthorpe can’t talk or meet with like-minded people in Lake Oswego?

No such “professionally organized” anti-streetcar group exists in Lake Oswego and you surely know that. There is, however, a very organized, well funded pro-streetcar group in town called “Next Stop Lake Oswego.” In the weeks leading up to the public hearing, this group ran several expensive newspaper ads listing all their supporters, but somehow couldn’t get these same “supporters” to show up for the hearing. Can’t blame them; I’d also be embarrassed to be publicly affiliated with this worthless, pork-laden boondoggle. One imagines that the list of “supporters” is becoming shorter by the day.

There is a small “amateurishly” organized group of anti-streetcar Lake Oswegans, but overall opposition in town is anything but a small contingent of citizens. And those of us who exercise our right to express frustration with being routinely dismissed, ignored, and demeaned by the buffoons running City Hall are sick of being derisively characterized as the “loudest” voices. If we are eventually forced to become “professionally” organized and “privately” funded in order to “take it to the streets,” I think there are many people in Lake Oswego who are becoming frustrated enough to do just that.

This seems to be the new meme, the latest “strategy” by the streetcar proponents: make accusations and insinuations about “private funding” and “professional organizers” and “lobbyists” being used by the streetcar opposition. The despicable and nauseating Judi Hammerstad tried the same disingenuous tactic at the Country Club “streetcar debate” by trying to smear Len Bergstein for being a - gasp! - lobbyist!! It took Mary Olson to stand up and point out to those in attendance that the proponents have been paying a lobbyist, with our tax dollars, no less, for years.

You see, this is how cynical and contemptuous they are of the citizens they supposedly represent. They assume we’re ignorant and uninformed of the facts surrounding this steaming pile of pork and incapable of comprehending the complexity of the many reeking conflicts of interest and corruption.

As is typical with people like Donna Jordan, she conveniently doesn’t mention the additional $335,000 that Lake Oswego taxpayers will now be forking over to pay for the “detailed list of conditions to be explored before moving to the much more expensive and involved preliminary engineering phase.” She disingenuously states this as though the list of “conditions to be explored” has little to no cost associated with it. Also, she states that “value engineering” is “not unusual.” Well, “value engineering” is not necessarily a routine occurrence, either, Donna, if public infrastructure projects are sized and cost-estimated in an honest and responsible way to begin with.

As for all the so-called “fear-mongering opponents” (another negative, disrespectful and demeaning label for the citizens that Councilor Jordan represents), I’m sure you’ll understand, Donna, given the sad state of affairs we now have in Lake Oswego as a result of years of fiscal incompetence and lies, if we are loathe to believe or trust anything you and your Council buddies say about the proposed plans for Foothills development, your reassurances notwithstanding.

Mona Ellison, Reality-based Liberal
Lake Oswego

They are dirt pimps: they whore the earth.

To repeat what was said on the last thread regarding Lake Oswego, half of the opposition to the current council and staff was based upon a very admirable and appropriate attempt to stop the streetcar boondoggle and related redevelopment fiasco in the Foothills.

Most of the rest, however, was based upon an extreme reaction to a very reasonable city proposal to protect water quality in the rivers, lake, streams, and yes, even ditches of Lake Oswego from occasionally duplicitous but mostly ignorant property owners who think that their moving dirt around, removing native vegetation, putting structures, and storing automobiles in their back yards is their god-given right, damn the consequences to downstream water quality, salmon habitat, etc.

Alternatively, these property owners claimed that, despite the voluminous scientific evidence to the contrary, such actions on their part couldn't possibly have any impact, individually or cumulatively upon downstream water quality. Sort of like the "global warming is a hoax" mentality, on a much smaller scale.

And, despite the claims from some who say that property owners were quite happy with existing setback regulations for their properties, anyone who endured the bleatings and screams of such property owners at the many public hearings in Lake Oswego knows that this simply isn't true - most of those property owners wanted NO city regulation of any kind that would diminish their ability to dump whatever they wanted into their backyard "ditches."

Benjamin J.
You know not of what you speak. Do you even live in Lake Oswego? The "sensitive lands" code affects only 3% of the land in Lake Oswego which was traded away by none other than our current Mayor, who helped write title 13 for Metro. He traded away ALREADY developed private backyards for major water bodies and floodplains, that is FOOTHILLS. Get it? It is not an environmentally sound program. We have 17 other code provisions which protect 100% of our properties through tree code, erosion control, steep slopes, drainage standards, clean streams, utility code, etc. etc. It's an off site mitigation program that encumbers private property owners in exchange for developing other areas that these politicians are pushing.

They have fooled the enviros like you into thinking they are the ones who are protecting the environment. What a joke.

"Benjamin J":
You are free to "repeat" the false assertions alleged in this post as many times as Jack will allow, but that won't make this ill-informed nonsense any closer to reality. Not sure why you'd want to advertise your blind ideological nitwittery, but, hey, have at it.

They're not false. And last time I checked, Jack was against the streetcar and redevelopment, not rules that prevent people from destroying the water quality of our streams, rivers, and lakes.

Ben J:
I didn't say that Jack is "against rules that prevent people from destroying the water quality of our streams, rivers, and lakes." Only that he has control over comments on his blog.

By the way, no one in Lake Oswego is "for" the ability to "destroy the water quality of our streams, rivers, and lakes." Even the most right-wing "property rights" advocates have never claimed that they should have the "right" to "destroy" (your word, mind you) "the water quality of our streams, rivers, and lakes." That's how I know that you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

If you've personally met someone in Lake Oswego - or anywhere for that matter - who has publicly advocated for the right to "destroy" our water resources, please, by all means, supply a name. Surely, only someone who is mentally ill would advocate for such a thing.

Lake Oswego is not Yosemite. Grow up.

From the O article:

"City government is supposed to be fun because we're all working together with our neighbors to do what's best for the city," said Lake Oswego Councilor Donna Jordan. "But it hasn't been fun and the fact that many of us don’t see eye-to-eye on a few topics hasn’t helped us move forward.”

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

So let me get this straight. Government services shouldn't be about looking out for the best interest of the citizens, but should be about having "fun."

Look lady, being a public official is about selfless service to your community to make it the best it can be. You have to fight for your opinions, not share hot coco with each other and talking about your feelings.

I honestly think some days I am living in the Roman Empire on September 1, 476 -- just before the last emperor fell.

Benjamin, if rules really keep people from doing bad things, we need more of them. Better yet, how about developing a police foce that can predict who is going to break the law and arrest them before they actually commit the crime. This is prevention at it's finest.

Actually, this isn't my idea, I stole it from a book/movie, but it seems like a good idea to try out, no? Credit to Phillip K. Dick.

It would be interesting to discuss punishment and loss of rights and liberties for persons only suspected of committing some crime in the future, but that would be asking too much of Jack's blog. The other half of that equation is defining the crime and who is the responsible party. Sorry Jack, the rights and liberty thing really got my goat. I will move on now.

Remember when Adams asked Leonard if he was having fun?.......

http://commissionerleonard.typepad.com/commissioner_randy_leonar/2010/09/canzanos-treatment-of-mayor-adams-uncalled-for.html
John-
I just passed Mayor Sam Adams in the hall and, with a wry smile, he asked me if I was having fun. I asked him what was up and he said he had been on your radio show last night…and nothing more.
Curious, I went back to my office and was able to listen to your entire interview of Sam last night;.....

Maybe the fun has stopped at Portland City Hall too as these two are not running again. Unfortunately, we have 345 days left before they exit.
Jaded I am after what I have witnessed, but I sometimes wonder if it hasn't been fun for them to sit up there on their royal perches, to see the citizens plead and knowing full well it is to no avail.

Yikes! Given the level of personal vitriol over these proposed civic improvement projects, Greg M. might want to think long and hard about tossing his hat into this hornets nest. Can't help but note you all seem to make Hoffman's point about the desirability of serving. Sore winners always struck me as a far more troubled lot than sore losers. After all the losers actually have something to be sore about. The process worked for those opposed to the streetcar and Hoffman's policies, and he's taking himself off the stage. No reason to vilify him for expressing his personal opinion about why. Just declare victory and move on.

Drewbob, You clearly don't know Hoffman. Or anything that has been going on in L.O.

Donna appears to be the sore loser here.

LO resident: Maybe so,( although I've run into Jack Hoffman a few times in court). But I am comforted by the fact that ignorance appears to be a common condition among those who disagrees with you. My point was simply that being a sore loser has always seemed to me to be punishment enough

Drewbob,
"Yikes! Given the level of personal vitriol over these proposed civic improvement projects".

You're either oblivious or as disingenuous as Judie Hammerstad.

People are sick of that kind of insulting misrepresenting of what is being opposed.

It isn't "civic improvement".

It's anti-voter, civic ruin with unwanted rail transit and unwanted costly high density development instead of sound government and authentic civic improvement.

Your offensive claim that the "processed worked" is more gas on the fire.

It worked?

Not even close. Conniving Hoffman and company hijacked and manipulated the process for over a year forcing the voting public away from their families to intervene.
Now you're telling these good people they are misbehaving?
This battle is far from over and it's people like who need to be thoroughly defeated and removed from any influence at all.

On the streetcar, Foothills, Lake Grove UR and the West End Building it's your brand of civic improvement that must be stopped.

Ben... shut your eyes and lie back take it for g-d and Claskistan... you know you asked for this just like every other rape victim and you know it's not nice to complain about it.... (And hopefully the humor impaired will ignore this darkly sarcastic post)